Regional Veterinary and Food Administration

Regional veterinary and food administration centres
Denmark has two regional veterinary and food
administration centres:

• Region West, which covers all of Jutland
• Region East, which covers Funen, Zealand and the surrounding islands, including Bornholm

The regional veterinary and food administration centres are independent authorities under the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and are in charge of the Veterinary and Food Administration's direct contact to consumers, enterprises, veterinarians and livestock owners within the centre's region.

The regional veterinary and food administration centres carry out the inspection of food companies and livestock production and serve as animal health units in the event of outbreaks of contagious diseases among livestock.

Each regional veterinary and administration control centre is led by a regional director 

The regional veterinary and food administration centre, region North consists of two veterinary control offices, seven control offices, a laboratory and a secretariat.

The regional veterinary and food administration centre, region East consists of a veterinary control office, seven control offices, a laboratory and a secretariat.

Food Control Offices
The regional centres have a total of ten Food Control
Offices all over Denmark. These offices are in charge of
food inspections from raw materials to finished products.
Inspections at food establishments include checks of internal control schemes, hygiene and labelling.

The Food Control Offices are responsible for:

• Inspections at restaurants, supermarkets and other food establishments according to the Danish smiley scheme
• Registration, approval and licensing of food establishments
• Border control of imports and exports of live animals,
  foods and non-food products of animal origin
• Sampling for laboratory analysis
• Follow-up on violations established
• Issuance of certificates, e.g. in connection with exports,
  and sealing of trucks
• Provision of nutritional information by the flying squad
  set up under the ‘All about Diet’ project

Veterinary Control Offices
The offices are in charge of inspecting farmed animals, and they develop and maintain emergency measures against infectious livestock diseases and combat such diseases that may break out.

The inspections of farmed animals include
control of animal welfare, use of medicinal products and
transport conditions.

The Veterinary Control Offices are responsible for:

• Registration, approval and licensing of livestock, transporters and enterprises producing non-food products
  of animal origin
• Inspections of livestock, assembly centres and transports
  of livestock, non-food enterprises and inspections
  of labelling and traceability of live animals
• Sampling for analytical testing
• Follow-up on violations established
• Casework relating to registration, labelling and traceability of live animals
• Issuance of certificates, e.g. in connection with
  exports, and sealing of consignments
• Surveillance tasks, contingency plans and exercises
• Managing of suspicions and control of livestock diseases

Food Inspection Flying Squad
This flying squad works together with the Food Control Offices to check the accounts and documents of enterprises.

It may take action if illegal enterprises or unlawful slaughter practices have been reported.

The flying squad is based in Region East, but performs tasks all over Denmark.

Veterinary Task Force
This task force is to carry out verification inspections, animal welfare inspections of livestock and inspections of assembly centres, transports of livestock and the use of veterinary medicinal products.

The task force is based in Region West, but performs tasks all over Denmark.

Laboratories
Each regional veterinary and food administration centre
has a laboratory. The laboratories perform both microbiological and chemical analyses.

The laboratories are responsible for:

• Nationally coordinated monitoring, mapping and controlprogrammes, e.g. relating to Salmonella in meat
• Regionally managed inspection samples
• Market-driven activities: samples and tests requested
  by private enterprises
• Import samplingSecretariats

Secretariats
Each regional veterinary and food administration centre
has a secretariat. The secretariats take care of the administrative
tasks shared by the region.

The secretariats are responsible for:

• Regional budgets and accounts
• Follow-up on activities and financial management
  as well as contributions to the annual reports of the
  DVFA
• Administration of regional meat inspections
• HR and payroll management
• HR policy and HR development
• Acting as case management unit
• Assistance to directors, Works Council and Safety
  Committee
• Legal advisory services related to the tasks of the
  DVFA and HR issues
• Zootechnics (breeding science) in Region West
• Complaints regarding the Public Administration Act,
  Access to Public Administration Files Act and Act on
  Processing of personal Data
• Fees and charges
• Operational and service tasks, including procurement
• Internal communications and Intranet
• Legal assistance